Keeping your memory intact Keeping your memory intact (July 13, 2005)

Exercising all parts of the brain helps retain mental acuity

by Sue Dremann

Exercise isn't only good for the body. It's also good for the mind, local researchers and doctors said.

Forgetfulness is a normal part of aging; but body-building the mind can help retain and sharpen mental acuity in the aging brain. It's not just a matter of doing a few crossword puzzles, or playing bridge, although those activities do help. Exercising every part of the brain -- just as one would every part of the body for maximum fitness -- gets the best results, Dr. Calvin Brenneman, a physician at the Palo Alto Medical Foundation, said.

"There is no question memory retrieval issues are part of aging, but you can learn to train the mind, by using the mind on a regular basis. It helps mostly if you do activities that require memory, as opposed to calculation or tasks," said Brenneman, who will speak on "What is Normal Aging?" on Aug. 24 at PAMF.

The need for a whole-mind approach is similar to the need for exercising the entire body. For example, people who walk a lot, but then do lifting, find out they can't do it very well, because they don't have muscle mass in the upper body. It's the same way with exercising only one part of the brain, he said.

PET scans show an increase of activity in different parts of the brain, depending on which skills are being employed, whether it's memory, calculation, social interaction or completing tasks, he said.

It all comes back to the adage, "use it or lose it," Joyce Hanna, associate director of Stanford's Health Improvement Program (HIP), said. Hanna co-teaches a class, "How to Increase Your Brain Power and Prevent Alzheimer's Disease."

Mental games and activities, such as trying to remember phone numbers, playing bridge and doing crossword puzzles, are important to build new linkages in the brain. But learning something new in an area one hasn't participated in before helps grow the mind, so to speak, she said.

"Start a journal, if your artistic skills are good. If you aren't mechanical, learn to repair things. Playing a musical instrument a whole new group of muscles become involved."

Anything that affects cardiovascular fitness can also impact memory. High blood pressure and high cholesterol are major risk factors for mental decline, Dr. Victor Henderson, professor of Health Research and Policy and Neurology and Neurological Sciences at Stanford University, said.

"Physical conditioning increases blood flow to the brain and strengthens blood flow to cells," Hanna said. When Hanna exercises, she frequently puts her notes on the exercise machine and reads while working out. It helps her retain the information, she said.

"You get all this oxygen to the brain. ... A study has shown that people who walk for 45 minutes, four times per week, do better on cognitive tests," she added.

It also becomes more important to exercise regularly as one ages, Brenneman said. "Do the same activities rain or shine. Don't let anything get in the way. You can't give up regular exercise for a week when you are older, or you lose what you gained."

Exercise can also reduce stress and improve sleep, factors that can impair memory, Hanna said.

"Chronic stress alters brain structure, and with Baby Boomers, it's constant, with multi-tasking and everything."

Isolation is also a factor in cognitive impairment. Maintaining good social networks through luncheons, churches or other social contacts reduces stress and helps maintain mental acuity. Stress and social isolation often cause depression, which contributes to diminished cognitive function, Brenneman said.

"It's a matter of engaging. The problem is with people who aren't self-starting individuals. If there isn't something there to catch their attention, pushing or pulling them, once you lose that (engaging) capacity, you lose the connection to your environment," he said.

Dietary supplements may also help retain cognitive function because some may promote a healthy heart. Omega 3 fatty acids from fish oils show a decrease in plaques in blood vessels and fruits and vegetables provide anti-oxidants, which help destroy cancer-causing free-radicals in the body, Hanna said.

Estrogens may also help protect women's memories. Healthy older women tend to do a little better than men with memory tasks, said Henderson, whose research at Stanford looks at estrogen. But it's still an unsettled issue. Women taking estrogen replacement after age 65 may also be at greater risk for heart disease and stroke, he added. Some researchers are currently looking at the role testosterone may play in retaining cognitive function, he said.

While most changes are normal, what's not normal is a decline, Henderson said. "It's not normal to lose the ability to manage one's daily affairs or become demented. Alzheimer's disease, the most common cause of abnormal memory loss, is characterized by a loss of the ability to learn new information and to recall information."

Normal changes in the brain aren't usually noticeable until one reaches their 70s, Henderson said. But there is an upside. "You're not quite as fast, but you do have wisdom."

Staff Writer Sue Dremann can be e-mailed at sdremann@paweekly.com.

Upcoming lectures

"What is Normal Aging?" a lecture by Dr. Calvin Brenneman, will take place on Aug. 24 from 2:30-4 p.m. at Palo Alto Medical Clinic, Hearst Center for Health Education, 3rd Floor, 795 El Camino Real, Palo Alto. Cost: Free. Call 853-2960. www.pamf.org.

"How to Increase Your Brain Power and Prevent Alzheimer's Disease," taught by Joyce Hanna and Jeff Farquhar, will take place on Wednesdays, July 20-27 from noon-1:15 p.m. at Hoover Pavilion, #400, Stanford University. Cost: $30. Healthy Living classes also available for cardiac fitness. Call 723-9649. hip.Stanford.edu.

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